Improvement in postage or revenue stamps



w. w. BI ERCE. V POSTAGE OR REVENUE STAMPS.

; No. 194,212. .Papented Aug. 14,1877.

- @aWX Y. I J;m7z

4. 6 v wzi UNITED STATES PATENT FEIQE'. A

WILLIAM w. BIEROE, OF MEMPHIS, TENnEssE EssmNoE 0E ONE-HALE HIS RIGHT To JOHN c. SPENCER, or NEW YoEK CITY.

IMPROVEMENT lN POSTAGE OR REVENUE STAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 193M212, dated August 14, 1877 application filed November 7, 1876; patented in Canada, October 30, 1876, for five-years.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM W. BIERGE,

. of Memphis, Shelby county, in the State of Tennessee, have invented a new and Improved Postage or Revenue Stamp, of which the following is a specification:

The object of this invention is to provide a stamp adapted for postal or revenue purposes which can be readily and so effectively canceled that it cannot be restored and reused.

The invention consists in, first, a stamp having a portion of its back ungummed, when the corresponding portion of its face is raised above the plane of its contiguous parts; and, second, a stamp having a portion of its back ungummed, when the corresponding portion of its face is raised and surrounded with perforations or indentations.

In thedrawin gs which accompany this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of the back of the stamp. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the face thereof, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view thereof through the line :0 w of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A represents the ungum med portion of the back of the stamp; B, the raised portion of the face of the stamp; O, the perforations surrounding the raised portion of the stamp.

The stamps may be printed in sheets by the use of engraved plates or dies, and may be struck off in appropriate designs and'colors.

The raised center, or the raised center surrounded with perforations or indentations upon the face of the stamp, can he produced by the use of dies, which can readily be constructed to accomplish one or both of these results at the same time the face of the stamp is printed.

The backs of the stamps may be prepared so that a portion of each shall be left ungummed by the use of a form or shield-which shall cover such portion of each stamp of the sheet as it is desired shall be ungummed, and the mucilage can be flowed over the uncovered or unprotected portions of the sheet.

The advantage claimed for stamps which have a portion of their backs ungummed and a corresponding portion of their face raised is, that they can be more readily and effectively canceled without injury to the envelope to which they are applied than if their backs were entirely covered with adhesive material. In the latter case it is found impracticable to cancel the stamp by removing a portion thereof, or by defacing it by tearing to any great degree without injury to the envelope, while in the former case, there being no union of a portion of the stamp to the envelope, it can be readily removed or so defaced as to prevent any attempt to restore it.

The cancellation of stamps having a portion of their faces raised and the corresponding portion of their backs ungummed may be effected in a variety of ways, and by the use of any instrument, which, by being passedover or brought in contact with the raised portion,

will cut, tear, or remove it, or some part thereof, or otherwise deface it, the elevation above the contiguous parts permitting the instrument to take hold of such elevated portion, and the absence of adhesive material upon the back of such elevated part permitting it to be easily defaced and removed.

In order to render the cancellation still more easy and perfect, the raised portion of the face of the stamp may be surrounded with perforations or indentations, by means of which the raised portion will be partially separated from the contiguous parts, so that it can be entirely and readily removed.

A stamp constructed according to this invention-having a portion of its back ungummed and the corresponding portion of its face raised-possesses the following additional advantage over those which lie flat through out their entire surface upon the envelope: When such stamp is canceled, by striking or pressing upon it with someinstrument carrying ink or paint, the raised portion will receive the main force of the blow or pressure and become thoroughly inked; and inasmuch as there is no coating of mucilage or gum opposite this raised part to prevent the passage of the ink through it, it will become more perfectly per meated with ink than would be the case were it not raised, and the difliculty of restoring it to its original condition would thereby be greatly increased.

I do not therefore claim, broadly, a stamp having a portion of its back ungumlned; but PQITfiiOH of its back ungummed, when the cor- What is claiined'as new is-'- responding portion of its face' is raised and 1. A postage or revenue stamp having a surrounded with perforations or indentations, portion of its back ungummed, when the corsubstantially as and for the purpose described. responding portion of its face is raised above the plane of its contiguous parts, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A postage or revenue stamp having a I WILLIAM W. BIERGE; Witnesses:

GEo. H. BIERCE, JONAS W. ROLLER. 

